Connie Mason (22 page)

The women exchanged amused glances as they turned their backs to Osgood.

The day following Osgood’s occupation of Mildenhall, Father Francis passed on Osgood’s promise that the servants would not be harmed if they returned. By midday, a few hardy souls had straggled back, relieving Mariah and Edwina of kitchen duty.

Edwina had managed to speak at length with Father Francis early that morning before he left, and together they’d arranged a precarious escape for Mariah.

After the priest left, Edwina explained the details to Mariah while picking herbs in the kitchen garden, where they couldn’t be overheard.

“Father Francis is arranging your escape as we speak,” Edwina murmured.

Mariah bent close to Edwina, glanced around to make sure no one was about and asked, “Am I to leave with Robbie?”

“Aye. If all goes well, you, Robbie and Becca will be smuggled out of the village today.”

A mixture of pleasure and fear suffused Mariah’s face. “If you can make that happen, you are a miracle worker. Tell me more.”

“Father Francis is the miracle worker, not I. He and the alewife are arranging for a shipment of her best ale to be delivered to the keep today while the men partake of the midday meal. The ale will be welcomed, for Osgood’s men have depleted the stock on hand. Among the kegs will be one large enough to hold an adult, one that has never contained ale. While Horace unloads the filled kegs, Malcolm will help you into the empty one.

“When they return to the village, they will reload the wagon with ale to be delivered to a village south of here. Two of those kegs will hold Robbie and Becca. To anyone who asks, Malcolm will say that he is making a regular delivery to the alehouse in the neighboring village, but instead, he will be taking you, Becca and Robbie to London. Once you arrive, you can seek the king’s help.”

Mariah worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she imagined all the things that could go wrong. If they were caught, Robbie would become Osgood’s pawn, and she would be forced to wed Walter in order to protect Robbie.
But if everything went as planned, she and Robbie would be free to seek the king’s help.

Another alternative was to let Robbie and Becca leave without her. But they would be like two lost lambs in a wild and lawless town. She might never see her son again.

“What are you thinking, Mariah?” Edwina asked. “I know the plan Father Francis and I have hatched is a dangerous one, but ’tis the only one that has a chance of working.”

Mariah stared at the old woman who had befriended her when she’d arrived at Mildenhall as a young girl. After her parents’ deaths, when Edmond had become her guardian, Edwina had assumed the role of mother. She would trust both Edwina and Father Francis with her life. “I will do it,” she whispered.

“Take naught with you but a change of clothing and whatever coin you can lay your hands on.”

“Sir Martin has hidden away some gold coins; I know where to find them.”

“Malcolm and Horace will deliver the ale while Osgood and his men are eating, so you won’t be missed. When Malcolm brings the wagon around to the kitchen, you are to sneak out the door and climb into the keg. God go with you.”

“I will need God to pull this off,” Mariah muttered.

Jamie reached the village with a powerful hunger. He made straight for the alehouse and ordered a meat pie, hoping to get some information along with his food.

The serving girl greeted him enthusiastically, having made his acquaintance during his stay at Mildenhall
keep. “Jamie, what are you doing back here? I thought you left with Sir Falcon’s party.”

“Falcon was uneasy after leaving and sent me back to inquire at the keep. I stopped here first for a bite to eat, and information. Is all well at the keep, Callie?”

Callie glanced about the crowded taproom and whispered, “Not here. Osgood has placed men throughout the village. It wouldn’t do for you to be recognized or be seen talking to me.”

“Sir Osgood occupies Mildenhall?” Jamie gasped. “What happened?”

“Come around to the kitchen after you’ve eaten and I’ll explain.”

Jamie gobbled his meat pie and left. Cautiously he worked his way around to the kitchen entrance. Callie was waiting for him.

“How did Osgood get inside the keep?” Jamie asked without preamble.

“He used trickery. Now Father Francis is the only one allowed outside the gate. Since Sir Osgood thinks him harmless, he’s been our only source of information. Osgood is pressuring Lady Mariah to wed Walter.”

“Has a marriage taken place?”

“Nay. Our lady refused, but only because Robbie has disappeared and Osgood cannot use him to force Lady Mariah to his will.”

“Do you know what happened to Robbie?”

“Nay, no one does. We believe, but cannot be sure, that he’s on his way to London with his nursemaid to seek the king’s help. Osgood’s mercenaries searched the keep, the village, everywhere a lad could hide.”

“What about Lady Mariah? Is she well?”

“According to the priest, she is.”

Jamie gave Callie a swift buss on the cheek and hurried off.

“Where are you going?” Callie called after him.

“To London, to report to Falcon. Take care, Callie.”

Upon his return to London, Falcon heard on the street that King Henry had taken his army to France to lay siege to Normandy. If the gossip proved true, Falcon needed to be with the king.

Though Rosamond wanted Falcon to secure a special license from the bishop so they could wed immediately, Falcon resisted the pressure of her constant nagging. He refused to do anything until Jamie reported back to him. The feeling that all was not well at Mildenhall intensified with each passing hour.

Soon after their arrival, Falcon escorted Rosamond to her father’s town house.

“Papa, you look ill!” Rosamond cried when her father met them at the door. “Come, sit down. I have some news to impart. Falcon and I are betrothed and are to be wed soon.”

Lord Norwich, once a robust man, did indeed look ill. His face was pallid, his skin sagging. He was not the same man Falcon had known five years ago.

“Where have you been, daughter? I came up to London despite my illness, hoping to find you here.”

“I was at Mildenhall, visiting Lady Mariah. Falcon happened to be there on the king’s business.”

“Are you sure marrying Falcon is wise, daughter? You can do better than a landless knight.”

Falcon shifted uncomfortably, unaccustomed to being talked down to.

“You agreed to the match once,” Rosamond said, pouting. “Now that I am a widow, you have no say in my choice of husband. I have an estate and wealth of my own, and I want Falcon.”

Lord Norwich stared at Falcon with intense dislike. “Do you promise not to leave my daughter at the altar? I cannot bear for her to be disappointed again.”

“What happened before was unavoidable,” Falcon retorted.

“So I was told,” Norwich bit out.

Falcon deliberately changed the subject. “I heard on the street that King Henry is in France. Is it true?”

“Aye, so I’ve heard, but I cannot say for sure.”

“If it’s true, I intend to join him as soon as I can. Perhaps it would be best to postpone the wedding until I return.”

Norwich sent Rosamond an “I told you so” look. Rosamond, however, was having none of it. Glaring at Falcon, she stamped her foot. “I like this not! We will be wed before you leave or not at all. I have waited too long to be your wife.”

I prefer we not wed at all
, Falcon thought but did not say. But he knew he might never get another chance to
wed an heiress. “Very well,” he agreed. “Once my business affairs are in order, we can be wed.”

A catlike smile curved Rosamond’s mouth. “Make it soon, Falcon. I don’t like waiting for what I want.”

Falcon decided to leave before he said something he’d regret. He had always known Rosamond was spoiled and demanding, but the size of her dowry had made him overlook those qualities. Perhaps he should have examined her faults before agreeing to marry her.

“I must leave,” Falcon said. “There’s a great deal to do before we can be wed. I will be in touch, Rosamond.”

Rosamond grasped his arm. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

Once out of sight of her father, Rosamond stopped, twined her arms around Falcon’s neck and pulled his head down to hers. Her lips were soft and plump, and for a moment Falcon allowed himself to explore them, probing between them with his tongue to taste her.

The kiss did naught to arouse him. If Rosamond were Mariah, his cock would be in full rut and eager for consummation. Rosamond’s kisses left him cold. He broke off the kiss and took his leave, much to Rosamond’s vexation. He had a great deal to think about. Marrying Rosamond would be for the rest of his life. Was that what he wanted?

Falcon returned to his rented rooms above the Fox and Hound Inn near Whitehall. The rooms were comfortable and had proved adequate during his years of service to the king. Besides, the inn had a fine cook and the quality of the food was excellent. And the inn’s stableman took good care of his horse.

After bathing and eating an excellent meal, Falcon took himself off to Whitehall. It didn’t take long for him
to learn that the king, having set his sights on Normandy, had sailed across the channel with his army three days earlier. Falcon heard the details from Lord Humphreys, one of the king’s advisors.

“Did Henry leave any instructions for me?” Falcon asked.

“None that I am aware of. You have just returned from Mildenhall, have you not?”

“Aye.”

“Is all well there? Henry was fond of Lord Edmond and wanted to help his widow.”

“All was as it should be when I left,” Falcon hedged.

“I assume you want to join the king as soon as possible.”

“I do, but not until I settle my affairs in England.”

Falcon left Whitehall soon after their conversation. At loose ends, he dropped in at the Cock and Crow, where he knew he’d find his friends enjoying their leisure time. He wasn’t disappointed. Falcon joined Sir Dennis and several others; they spoke at length about the king’s return to Normandy and their desire to join him. Falcon promised to inform them when he was ready to depart, and then took his leave.

Falcon was worried about Jamie. If the lad didn’t return tomorrow, Falcon intended to send someone to see what was keeping him . . . or go himself, no matter how strenuously Rosamond objected.

Falcon was spared a journey to Mildenhall when Jamie showed up at his rooms the next day.

“There’s trouble at Mildenhall,” Jamie cried the moment Falcon opened the door to him. He had to stop and draw a deep breath before continuing. “Osgood used trickery to gain entrance to the keep.”

Falcon’s heart thudded against his ribs. “Sit down, lad, and catch your breath.” He led Jamie to a chair. “Now tell me what happened.”

“I decided to stop for a bite to eat at the alehouse in the village before continuing on to the castle,” Jamie explained. “What I learned in the village changed my mind about going on to the castle. Sir Osgood is in control of Mildenhall. He used some sort of trickery to gain entrance. The castle guards were overpowered and are under lock and key.”

Falcon’s stomach clenched. He should have turned back when his gut warned him that something was wrong. Had the phantom voice he’d heard calling for help been Mariah’s?

“Did you learn anything about Mariah and Robbie’s fate?”

“Walter intended to force Lady Mariah to wed him, but that plan failed when Robbie disappeared.”

“Disappeared? What do you mean? How did the boy escape the trap Osgood set for him and Mariah?”

“No one seems to know what happened to the lad,” Jamie explained. “Both he and his nursemaid went missing. Father Francis is the cotters’ only source of information. The priest is allowed to come and go in order to serve his flock. I think Osgood fears that God will punish him if he interferes with the priest’s work.”

Falcon began to pace, his face a mask of fury. “If Osgood were wise, he would fear God
and
me.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure yet. I wish I knew whether Robbie is safe. Where could he have gone?”

“The consensus was that his nursemaid took him to London, to seek the king’s help.”

His fists clenched at his sides as Falcon’s face hardened. “If Osgood has hurt the boy or his mother, he will suffer for it. You’ve earned your rest, Jamie. Go find your bed. We’ll talk later, after I decide what’s to be done.”

Jamie left. Falcon dropped into the chair Jamie had vacated. He needed to think through all he had just learned. He wished Sir John hadn’t taken his new wife home to meet his family. John had never failed him when a cool head was needed. Falcon was inclined to be hotheaded, acting first and thinking later. But with Mariah’s life at stake, he couldn’t afford to act impulsively.

Without the king’s help, storming the castle could bring disastrous results. Possibly even endanger Mariah’s life. That thought was almost too painful to bear. Why had he ever left Mariah? Why had he thought marrying Rosamond would bring him everything he’d ever wanted?

He was a fool, that’s why.

Land and wealth didn’t bring happiness.

On the other hand, could a woman who had lied to him for unknown reasons make him happy? Falcon didn’t know. What he did know was that he couldn’t leave Mariah to Osgood’s machinations. Tomorrow he would gather his men and outline his plans to return to Milden-hall. But first, there was Rosamond to contend with.

Not one to put things off, Falcon called on his betrothed at her father’s town house later that day. She received him in the drawing room.

“Falcon,” she gushed, “I’ve been waiting for you to return. If you hadn’t called today, I was going to send a
messenger to your quarters. Papa is most anxious to see me settled. His illness progresses each day.”

Falcon cleared his throat. “There’s trouble at Milden-hall, and I’m worried about Mariah and Robbie.”

Rosamond reared back as if struck. “You’re worried about a woman and child who should mean naught to you? Let Walter have the witch. ’Tis what Osgood wants, is it not?”